Adjustable belt drive



A ril 1 1924. 1,488,617

H. ROBINSON ADJUSTABLE BELT DRIVE Filed Dec. 16, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 @3311 M lbtomm 5: 2 453 April H 1924. 4 1,488,617

H. ROBINSON ADJUSTABLE BELT DRI VE Filed D60- 16. 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 MHHHHHII H. ROBINSON ADJUSTABLE BELT DRIVE Fil'ed Dec- 16. 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 III I'll.

I'll I an! x A IIIII ,oggvemtoz J 1 W I f ul Improvements Patented Apr. 1, 1924.

UNITED STATES HENRY ROBINSON, OF LINDENHURST, NEW YORK.

ADJUSTABLE BELT DRIVE.

Application fiIed December 16, 1922. Serial No. 607,451.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY ROBINSON, a citizen of the United States, residing in Lindenhurst, Suffolk County, State of New York, have invented certain new and usein Adjustable Belt Drives, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates, in its broadest aspect, to an improved mounting for power-transmitting pulleys, adapted to convenient and easy adjustment of the belt tension, while insuring the utmost safety and stability in the mounting as a whole. More particularly, the invention relates to a mounting of'the nature above mentioned in combination with the body and driven parts of a mechanical potato peeler or other self-contained machine.

In its referred form, as herein shown and descri ed, the invention presents a selfcontained, overhead-driven mechanism, complete in itself, and adapted to peel vegetables etc. or to do other work.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a potato peeler provided with the invention, Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the same, Figure 3 is a sectional detail view through the telescoping column members and clamp, Figure 4 shows a modified form in elevation, and Figure 5 is a sectional view of another modified form.

The body of the machine is shown at 10. The potatoes or other vegetables are fed into it through the hopper l1, and, when peeled, are discharged through the door 12. The interior active operating mechanism, which forms no part of this invention, is driven in a well known manner by a shaft carrying the pulley 14.

The body 10 is supported by the legs 15,

and by the lower and stationary members 16, 17 of the extensible columns which serve to support the pulley which cooperates with the pulley 14 in driving the machine. Various devices may be used for the purpose of fastening the members 16 and 17 to the body 10. In the form shown it is preferred to use bolted clamps 18 and 19, as shown in Figure 2.

The members 16, 17, are hollow, and telescoping with them are the movable members 20 and 21 on top of which is mounted the movable pulley. In the form shown, this movable pulley is fixed upon the shaft of the electric driving motor 23, carried by the platform 24, supported on the column members 20 and 21. The belt 25 passes over the pulleys 22 and 14 in a well known manner, thereby enabling the. motor 23 to drive the interior mechanism of the machine.

During operation of the machine, the extensible columns are maintained in a firmly fixed position for supporting the motor 23 and pulley 22, by means of clamps 26 and 27. Figures 2 and 3 make clear the'preferred structure and operation of these clamps. v

The clamps .26 and 27 are identical in form, and preferably constitute opposite ends of a single casting, being joined by the intermediate lifting abutment or yoke 28, and (preferably) by the secondary yoke or guide piece 29.

Each clamp comprises a lower and larger portion, bored to fit the lower column member, 16 or 17; and an upper and smallerportion bored to fit the upper column member, 20 or 21. The bore in the lower part of each clamp terminates in a squared annular shoulder 30, 31, which rests upon the end of the lower column member 16 or 17, thus affording a solid support for the clamps and yoke or yokes.

On one side (preferably at the rear as shown in Figure 2) the clamps are split vertically, being furnished on opposite sides of each split with flanges 32, 33, and with one or more bolts 34 passing through said flanges. The parts are so formed and proportioned that, when the bolts 34 are loosened, the clamps are loose enough upon the two members of each column to permit the upper member, 20 or 21 to slide up or down within the lower member 16 or 17 When the bolts 34 (or equivalent closing means) are tightened, however, the clamps are pressed so tightly aganist the column members as to prevent their relative movement, thus creating a strong fixed support opposing all vibration or insecurity of any kind in the pulley support.

It is preferred to make the clamps capable of being tightened upon both column members, for maximum firmness and security; but it is obvious that the preventing of {)elativp1 verticalhmoiiement can behobtained tig tening t e 0 amps upon t e u per ni embers only, and this would be within the scope of the present invention.

, In order to produce vertical movement of the ulley 22 when it is desired to tighten the be t 25, means arepreferably supplied which are supported upon the lifting abutment or yoke 28. For this purpose it IS preferred to provide a lifting rod which is screw threaded over a part ofits length, as shown, which rod extends downward from the platform 24 or other pulley support and asses loosel through openings in the yo e 28 and guide 29.

A nut 36, threaded onto the screw portion of the rod 35, rests upon the yoke 28.

The mode of o eration is, of course, a parent. While t e pulleys are at wor the clamps 26 and 2 are tight upon the column members, which thus constitute a compact and eminentl solid support for the movable pulley. n the self-contained machine shown, the columns also support the motor 23 and platform 24.

When, however, it is found desirable to tighten the belt for any reason, the clamps 26, 27, are sufliciently loosened to permit the up or column sections to slip telescopical y within the lower sections, and the nut 36 is so turned as to impel the threaded rod 35 upward, thus lifting the pulley 22 until the desired degree of tension exists in the belt 25.

The best results are, of course, obtained by providing two supporting columns, as this gives greater security from lateral twistin or distortion and from vibration. It is, owever, within the scope of the resent invention to utilize a single column or the purpose had in view.

Figure 4 shows in elevation enough of a single column structure to serve as an example, Here the platform 24 is normally supported by a column formed of telescoping members 37 and 38, joined by a clamp 39 capable of use as heretofore described with relation to 26 and 27.

To make it 24 without tilting it materially, two lifting rods 40 and 41 pass through two liftingabutments 42 and 43, forming wings on opposite sides of the clamp 39. These rods are moved by means of nuts 44 and 45 respectively, in the manner already described.

The provision of clamps'separable from both columns resents obvious mechanical advantages an is, therefore, characteristic of the referred form above described. It is within the scope of this invention, however, to form the clamps and lower column members all in one piece. This is illustrated in Figure 5, wherein the column members are shown in horizontal section. Here the two lower column members are shown at 46 and 47 respectively and the upper telescoping members at 48 and 49.

- A. lifting yoke 50 joins the lower members.

These last are slitted vertically for a suflipossible to lift the platform I 1,4ee,c17

cient distance from their to s, the o posite sides of the slits bein urnishe with flanges. 51, 52; whereby t e bolts 53, 54 are enabled to squeeze .the tops of the lower column members ti htly against the up er members. The mode of operation of t is modification will be obvious from What has gone before.

The invention thus set forth presents particularly valuable advantages in connection with a self-contained machine of the general character illustrated. It solves the problem of a compact overhead drive taking up no more groom than a machine driven from below; and, at the same time provides the utmost safety, reliability and firmness. The utilization of the lower column members as supports for the body of the machine is a feature of economy and conduces to great stability and freedom from all vibration.

It is to be understood that this invention is not limited to a structure wherein the telescoping support is tightened or loosened by a clamp, but covers any construction wherein the movable pulley is carried upon an extensible column, especially where combined with a prime mover such as an electric motor for drivin a self-contained automotive machine like a potato peeler.

The prinicples of the invention may be embodied in'a great variety of structures, and the claims are not intended to be limited to the details herein shown and described.

What is claimed is 1. In a pulley mounting of the general character described, a supporting column composed of a larger lower hollow member, a smaller upper member telescoping therewith, an adjustable clamp fitting over said lower member and supported thereby, and meansfor tightening said clamp upon the upper member at will.

2. In a pulley mounting of the general character described, a supporting column composed of a larger lower hollow member, a smaller upper member telescoping therewith, a clamp composed of a slitted casting having its lower part bored to fit the lower column member with a shoulder resting on said member, and having its upper part bored to fit said upper member, and means for tightenililig said clamp upon the upper member at m 3. A self-contained automotive machine comprising a prime mover and pulley over the body of the machine, a transmission pulley near the bottom of the body, a telescoping column having a station member fixed to said body and a movab e member connected with said prime mover and its pulley, and means for lifting the movable member of the column to tighten the belt.

4. Apparatus as in claim 3 wherein the,

lifting means comprises a, threaded rod and nut supported on the stationary member of the column.

5. A self-contained automotive machine comprising an electric motor and pulley over the body of the machine, a transmission pulley at the bottom of the machine, a belt passing over the two pulleys, an extensible two part column fixed to one side of the machine having a movable member affording a permanent support for the motor and its pulley, a releasable clamp for securing to gather the two parts of said column, and a temporary lifting device for the motor and its pulley.

6. Apparatus as in claim 5 wherein the temporary lifting means is supported by the clamp.

7. Apparatus as in claim 5 wherein the clamp is supplied with a lifting abutment and wherein a threaded lifting rod supplied by a lifting nut is connected with the motor and asses through the lifting abutment on the 0 amp.

8. Apparatus as in claim 5 wherein a pair of telescoping columns is provided having fixed lower portions attached to and sup porting the body of the machine and having upper telescoping members attached to the motor.

9. A self-contained automotive machine comprising an electric motor and pulley, a

support therefor, a transmimion pulley below the same, a belt passing over the two pulleys, two parallel extensible two-part columns fixed to the machine, each having a the fixed portions of the extensible columns.

In testimony whereof I have hereto set my hand on this 1st day of December 1922.

HENRY ROBINSON. 

